Telegraphic sending apparatus



June 25, 1929.

J. A. HULlT TELEGRAPHIC SENDING APPARATUS Filed July 12, 1926 Patented June 25, 1929.

UNITED STATES JOHN A. HULIT, 0F VILLA PARK, ILLINOIS.

TELEGRAPHIG snnnme APPARATUS.

Application lediluly 12, 1926.

This invention relates to telcgraphic sending apparatus, and more particularly to that type of sending key apparatus or instrument in which the operator moves the key sidewise in one direction, to send one or more dots, and moves the key si'dewise in the other dircction to send one or more dashes, the key being operative to cause the transmission of successive dots as long as it is held over to one side, and being operative to cause the successive transmission of dashes as long as it is held over to the other side. i

The difficulty, in connection with sending apparatus of this kind, has been that split or divided dots or dashes are sometimes received at the receiving station, thus making the reading of the message uncertain, as the receiving operator could not be sure whether the split or divided dot was intended to be a full one, for example, and could not be certain just how to transcribe defective messages of this kind. i

Generally stated, therefore, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby the premature shifting of the key, from right to left, or vice versa, will not result in the splitting or dividing of the dash, or in the splitting or dividing of the dot, it being obvious that extra or surplus dots or dashes are more easily accounted for or understood, by the receiving operator, than are split dots or dashes, and to thus ensure more certainty i in the reading or transcribing of the messages at the receiving station.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction andcombinations tending to increase the general efliciency and the desirability of a telegraphic sending apparatus of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends,.the invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and claimed, and shown in the accompanying "drawing, in which the single :ligure is a diagram of a telegraphic sending apparatus embodying the principles vof the in vention.V

As thus illustrated, the sending instrument shown diagrammatically at 1 isof the kind in which the key or handle 2 is moved sidewise by the thumb of the sending` operator,

V and when moved to the right it throws a succession of dots on to the main line, as long as the key is held in this position. As is well known, the operator simply listens and hears Serial No. 121,751.

the correct number of dots transmitted, and

then quickly releases the key, before another dot is transmitted. A skillful operator, as is well known, with a sending key of this character, can send messages very rapidly, as l sidcwise movement of the thumb in one direction will be sufficient for any number of dots.

The mainline wires 3 extend to the receiving apparatus indicated diagrammatically at L1, and at the sending station these wires ter minate, .one in the armature 5, and the other in the stationary contact 6 of this relay. When the magnet 7 of this relay is energized, it pulls the armature 5 down against the contact 6, thus closing the main line circuit and transmitting a dot or a dash, depending upon the length of time that the relay magnet is energized. The line circuit includes a source of current (not shown) of any suitable character, in the wellknown manner.

While, on the diagram shown, it is nssume'd that the key 2 must be pressed to the left for each dash, so that the dashes are sent manually, while the dots are sent automatically in succession, as long as the key is held to the right, `it will be understood that the invention is not thus limited, as both the dots and the dashes might be transmitted in successionautomatically by some other arrangement. But for the purpose of illustrating the invention it will be suliicient, as shown on the y diagram, to describe a sending apparatus in which the sending key lever is held to `the right to send a succession of dots, and it will be understood that the improvements shown and hereinafter described to prevent the splitting of dots, can also be used for the prevention of any splitting or dividing of the dashes as well.

When the key lever 2 is thrown over to the right and held in such position, the send ing instrument 1 will cause the armature 5 to be depressed successively as many times as are necessary to Sendthe required number of dots, a dot being transmitted over the main line 3 each timethe armature 5` engages the stationary contact 6 of this relay.

This is because the sending instrument closes break .mechanism of this instrument to the otherpole ofsaid battery, thus intermittent- 1y energizing the magnet. 7 of the sending` relay. This, of course, also energizes the magnet14, and when this relay magnetis energized, its armature 17 isipulled down v into engagement with a movable contact arm 18, whichlatter is held-,normally up against a stationary contact 19 of this relay mech- ;anis'm. Normally, it'lwill be seen, there is aA battery circuit from one pole of the battery lthroug'h the resistance 20 and over the con- Vdu'ctor 21 to the magnet. 22, and then over 'f thejeonductor 23 to the stationary contact fpoint 19,-and1then through the arm 18 and` .-overfthe conductors 24 and 25 to the other f-pole' of said battery, so thatthe magnet 22' A.zisnormally energized; however, when the amagnet 14 is energized and the arm 18 1s -pressed downward, the circuit of magnet 22 .v isfopened, and its relay. armature 26 is raised Libya spring against the stationary contact 1-27,and .this'closes a circuit from the baty `:terylfthrough the resistance 20 to the relay xmagnetl' 28, :then-over the conductor 29 to isaidycontact 27,E and then through the ar- :amature 26 and over the' lconductors 30 and 125th the other ypole .of the battery, thereby energizing thefrelay magnet 28 and causing itsf armature 11 to bemoved downward away .v 'fromthe-stationary'contact 10,and this opens 'the-circuit 4ofthe fmagnets 7 and 14 previously-described. WVhen the instrument 1 i'opens'the circuit over the conductor 16, and

vthrough .themagnets7 and 1'4, the apparatus -.is-.tl1'en"re`storedto the condition shown in thediagra'm,and` the magnet 22 remains ener- .lg-gized -until the circuit over the conductor 16 isagainclosedl s With-athis, arrangement, lthe splitting or' `idividi'ng,-of.dots is impossible,'for when .a

ttional :dot. --.Ordinarily-,j with this type of sending key, the sendingV relay armature 5 would kbe released las soon vas the key 2 is released, even though 'the key might be' re-l leasedjustfafter starting a dot and before the v.dot was finished. lWith the relay ar-A c rangementshownand described, however, the

, dotwill-be transmitted, if once started, even.

after the key-iis released. It will be seen .'ighat-,assoon as .the armature 17 touches the h pivoted lever ,18,and before the latter moves `l downward to open the magnet of the circuit 22, a circuit is formed from the battery 8 feverthe Vconductors 25 and 24, through the "farm 18 and thearmature17 and the con- Aifduetoriil, throughthe magnets 14 and 7,

- through the armature 11 and the contact .y 1'0, and lover the conductor 9 to the other .'pole'of the battery. Thus, momentarily, the

"tween dashes.

magnets 14 and 7 are energized over a circuit that does not pass through the sending key instrument 1, thus holding the armature 5 down against the contact 6 long enough to send the dot, before the lever 18 is moved down far enough to break the circuit through the magnet 22, and before the circuit is closed through the magnet 28, whereby this successive action of relays is necessary and inevitable before the transmission of the dot is stopped, even though vthe transmission circuit in the sending instrument might be opened before the dot is finished. f

With the circuit arrangement shown, it -will be seen that the key 2 when pressed Ato the left closes a circuit over the conductor 31 through the magnet 7, over the conductor 12 and through the armature 11 to the contact 10, and then over the conductor 9 to the'other pole of the battery 8, thus energizing the magnet 7 to send a dash. However, this cannot be done until after the magne't 28 is de-energized, and consequently spacing between dots and dashes is insured, as well as between dots. For example, after sendinga dot., a dash can then not be transmitted until the sequenceV of relay operaltions has been completed, insuring the trans mission of the full dot, as previously explained, and not until after the magnet 28 has vbeen de-energized, the dc-energizing of this magnet serving not only to terminate the transmission of the dot, but also to insure espace between the dot and the following dash. Therefore, as stated, the in- 'vention not only insures against splitting of the dots, or against the splitting of impulses, but also insuresspacing between dots, as well asspacing between a dot and a dash. As

stated, the transmission of the dashes, with the arrangement shown, is manual, and the length of each dash is governed by the hand of the operator, as Well as the spacing be- But, as explained, the invention can be employed to insure against the splitting of dashes, and to insure spacing between dashes, and can be employed in connection with electrical impulses of any kind to be transmitted over a line circuit.

Thus it will be seen that instrumentalities are provided for preventing a splitting of the impulses, or any 'impulses sent over the line circuit, .and that such instrumentalities in- Vclude a so-called locking relay 14, the latter aving one energizing circuit through the key 2, and having another or locking energizing circuit through its armature 17 and the movable arm 18-and the conductor 24, as previously described. Therefore, when this relay 14 is locked in energized condition, it is energized through a circuit including contacts controlled by its own armature in the manner previously explained, thereby to prevent the splitting of the impulses as described.

Without disclaiming anything, and Without prejudice to any novelty disclosed, what I claim as my invention is:

1. In combination With a telegraphic sending key mechanism Jfor transmitting impulses, a normally deenergized sending relay having a circuit controlled thereby, controlling the line circuit, having also another circuit, and auxiliary relay mechanism including a normally energized relay and operative to close said other circuit through the sending relay to prevent splitting of the impulses.

2. Apparatus as specified in claim l, said auxiliary relay mechanism comprising` a third relay and a fourth relay having means to cooperatively control the energizing of said other relays.

3. Apparatus as specified in claim 1, said auxiliary relay mechanism comprisinga plurality of additional relays at least one of which is connected to be energized in series with the magnet of the sending relay.

4. Apparatus as specilied in claim 1, including a key circuit 'for energizingsaid sending relay to transmit dashes, said key circuit including normally closed contacts of a relay of said mechanism, thereby to insure spacing between dots and dashes, as Well as bet-Ween dots, there being a circuit to keep said relay of said mechanism energized and said contacts thereby open until after the transmission of a dot is completed.

5. Apparatus as specilied in claim 1, said mechanism including a relay having normally closed contacts, and including means whereby the electric magnet of said auxiliary relay is energized until after the transmission of the dot is completed, and a key circuit for energizing said sending relay to send dashes inc1uding said normally closed contacts of said auxiliary relay.

6. In combination with a telegraphic sending key mechanism vfor transmitting impulses, a sending relay controlled thereby, controlling the line circuit, and a key circuit for energizing said relay to transmit dashes, said key circuit including normally closed auxiliary relay contacts', and means including a normally energized relay for causing the energizing of said auxiliary relay to terminate the transmission of adot, serving to insure spacing between -dot and spacing between dots and dashes.

7. In combination with a telegraphic sending key mechanism for transmitting impulses, a normally deenergized sending relay having a circuit controlled thereby, controlling the line circuit, and instrumentalities co-operating with said relay to prevent splitting of the impulses, said instrumentalities including a relay having a first energizing circuit controlled by said sending key mechanism, and having a second energizing circuit including normally open contacts controlled by this relay itself.

8. A circuit arrangement as specified in claim 7 the said second energizing circuit including the energizing coil of said sending rela-y.

9. A circuit arrangement as specified in claim 7, said second energizing circuit comprising the normally closed contacts of athird relay.

10. A circuit arrangement as specified in claim 7, said second energizing circuit comprisin g the normally closed contacts of a third relay, together with relay means for controlling the energizing of said third relay.

Specification signed this 9th day of July, 1926.

JOHN A. HULIT. 

